Screw down for rolling mills



March 30 1926 F. c. BIGGERT. JR

SCREW DOWN FOR ROLLING MILLS Filed Sept. 7 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR March 30 1926.

F. C. BIGGERT, JR

SCREW DOWN FOR ROLLING MILLS Filed Sept. '7 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 will! Fatented Mar. 39, 19216.

rrsn err-es PAT FLORENCE C. BIGGEBT, JR, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T '"UNITED ENGINEERING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF PITTSBUBGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORE PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SCREW DOWN FOR "ROLLING MILLS.

. Application filed September 7, 1923. Serial No. 661,405.

To all whom it may concern: I ,1

Be it known that I, FLoRnNon C, Bloomer, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Grafton, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Screw Downs for Rolling Mills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates broadly to the metal working art, and more particularly to screw downs for rolling mills.

An important object of the invention is to provide a screw downembodying a plurality of screws, and having a separate drive for each screw, I a particular advantage in rolling thin sheets,

as it enables the roll bearings to be very, accurately adjusted independently of each other to compensate for unequal wearing of the roll surfaces or of the roll necks or hearings, in order that sheets of substantially uniform thickness may be obta1ned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separate worm drive for each screw, including an actuating handle for each of said worm drives adjustably mounted upon a shaft, and having readily releasable meansfor locking said handle in any desired angular position with respect to said shaft.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of the invention, as changes may be m de in the construction and operation therein disclosed-without departing from the spiritof the invention or scope of m broader claims.

In the rawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roll housing provided-with a screw down embodying my lnvention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the means for releasably securing an actuating handle to its shaft, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line VV of'Figure 4.

' In the drawings there is shown a roll housing of usual construction embodying spaced such construction being of.

standards 2 and 3 connected at the to by transverse rods 4. Each "of these stan ards is provided with the usual window 5 in which are positioned the bearin blocks for the rolls, a roll 6 being shown diagrammatically in Figure '1.

Extending through the top of each standard is a pair of vertical screws 7 adapted to bear at their lower ends upon an upper bearing block. Mounted upon thetop of the standard 2 is a casting 8, and upon the top of'thestandard 3 a corresponding casting 9, in each of which the corresponding pair of screws 7 is journaled; A worm gear 10 1s splined or otherwise secured upon the upper end portion of each screw 7, so' as to permit vertical movement of the screw with respect to the worm. The worm gears above each standard .are positioned in different horlzontal planes, this arrangement permitting the pair of gears above each standard to overlap, so that relatively large gears may be employed Engaging each worm gear 10 is a worm 11. The worms which engage the gears above the standard 2 are mounted upon relatively short shafts 12 which extend transversely of the standard, each shaft being journaled in a pair of spaced bearings 13 on an end of the casting 8, the worm carried by each shaft 12 being positioned between a corresponding pair of bearings. The worms 11 which engage the gears 10 above the standard 3 are carried by relative 1y long shafts 14 which extend transversely across the top of the roll housing parallel to the shaft 12, each shaft being journaled in a bearing 15 on an end of the casting 8 and in a pair of spaced bearings 16, similar to the spaced bearings 13, on an end of the casting 9, the corresponding worm 11 being positioned between said spaced bearings 16.

Each of the shafts 12 and 14 has a reduced end portion 17 overhanging the outer side of the standard 2. Keyed upon such reduced end portion is a bearing 18 provided in its periphery with a series of recesses 19. A handle 20 is formed at one end with a hub 21 to receive the bearing 19, opposite ends of the hub being engaged by was-hers 22 on the reduced portion 17, whereb the handle 20 is prevented from moving ongie tudinally of the shaft, but may be rotated with respect thereto. For locking the handle 20 in any desired respect to the shaft upon which it is mounted, there is provided a locking pawl 23 extending through an opening in the hub 21,

the free end of said pawl being adapted to engage in any one of the series of recesses 19 in the bearing 18. The pawl 23 extends longitudina y of the handle 20 and is adapted to be actuated to release the handle from its shaft by means of a springpressed lever 24 pivoted to the free end por-.

tion of the handle 20, and having the opposite end of the pawl 23 pivotally connected thereto. handle 20, the lever 24 is epressed, thereby withdrawing the pawl 23 from the recess 19 with which it may be in engagement.

It will be noted that the handles 20 for actuating, the shafts 12 and 14 are all arthe outside of. the

ranged at the outside of the standard 2, but it will be perfectly apparent that the ar, rangement of the parts shown may be re-' versed, so as to position the handles 20 at standard 3, if desired;

The operation of my improved screw down will be apparent. Each screw 7 may be separately operated by means of the corresponding handle 20. By grasping the end of the handle and depressing the lever 24, the

handle may be released from its shaft and rotated to the desired angular position with respect thereto, and then locked in such adjusted position by releasing the lever 24 to the action of. its spring. Thereafter, the handle may be moved in the opposite direction to actuate-the corresponding screw. The lplcli ing arrangement between the handle and s a t tated in either direction.

An important advantage of the present invention arises from the provision of separate means for actuating each screw, whereby a very fine and'accurate adjustment of the roll bearings may be obtained. Another advantage of the invention arises from the provision of a worm drive for each screw, including an actuating handle adapted to be angularly adjusted upon an actuating shaft and locked in adjusted position. This construction provides ample power for actuating the screws, and obviates the necessity for employing the usual spanner wrench and sledge hammer for this purose. P Another advantage of the invention arises from the arrangement of the gears above each standard in different horizontal planes, whereby larger gears may be employed, thus increasing the gear ratio between each worm gear and worm.

I claim 1. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll angular position with In graspin the end of the permits the shaft to be positively'rohousing comprising spaced standards, a pair of vertical screws extending through the upper portion of each of said standards, a worm gear mounted upon the uper end of each screw, a pair of parallel shafts journaled upon the upper portion of one of said standards and extending transversely thereof, a second pair of shafts journaled upon the upper portion of both of said standards and extending parallel to the first pair of shafts, a worm mounted upon each of said shafts and engaging one of said worm gears, and separate means for actuating each of said shafts, substantially as described.

2. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll housing comprising spaced standards, a pair of vertical screws extending through the upper portion of each of said standards, a worm gear mounted upon the upper end of each screw, a pair of parallel shafts journaled upon the upper portion of one of said standards and extending transversely there of, a second pair of shafts journaled upon the upper portion of both of said standards and extending parallel to the first pair of shafts, a worm mounted upon each of said shafts and engaging one of said worm gears, and separate means for actuating each of said shafts, all of said means being located on the same side of said housing, substantially as described.

3. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll housing comprising spaced standards, a pair of screws extending through the upper portion of each of said standards, and means or separately actuating said screws, comprising a worm gear mounted upon each screw, a worm engaging each of said gears and carried by a separate shaft journaled in said housing and a handle carried by each shaft for actuating the same, all of said handles being arranged at the same side of said housing, substantially as described.

4. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll housing comprising spaced standards, a pair of screws extending through the upper portion of each of said standards, and means for separately actuating said screws, comprising a worm gear mounted upon each screw, a worm engaging each of said gears and carried by a separate shaft j ournale'd in said housing, a handle journaled at one end upon each shaft and means operable from the other end of each handle for locking said handle in any desired angular position with respect to said shaft, substantially as descrlbed.

5. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll housing comprising spaced standards, a pair of vertical screws extending through the upper portion of each of said standards, a worm gear mounted upon the upper end of each screw, the worm ears above each standard being arranged in different horizontal planes and overlapping-each other, a worm in engagement with each worm gear, and means for independently actuating said worms, substantially as described.

6. In a screw down for rolling mills, a roll housing, a plurality of screws extending through the upper portion of-said housing, and means for separately actuating said screws, comprising a worm gear mounted upon each screw, a worm engaging each of said gears and carried by a separate shaft journaled in said housing, a handle journaled at one end upon each shaft, and means carried by each handle for looking said handle in an desired an ular position with respect to said shaft, said means having associated therewith yieldin means for normally maintaining it in 100 ing postion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand;

FLORENCE C. BIGGERT, JR. 

